This isn’t so much an old vs. new nose, but an olfactive dichotomy of the legendary and the niche, the icons and the new guard. Meet the nosy bunch.

The Iconic Nose
There’s the masters – Hermes, Chanel and Gucci – houses who need no introduction, and with their own narrative continue to create fragrance heroes, or heroines. This time however, with original dialogue; some with carnal language, others softly spoken – all in all, it’s a whole new world of scent. For Chanel, her name is Gabrielle, the first fragrance from the house in over 15 years. She is the product of Olivier Polges, born of an existing olfactory discourse – the same cradle which nurtured Chanel’s first fragrant years, perfumer Olivier takes up post where his father, Jacques, left off. Capturing the rebellious spirit of Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel, Polges reimagines the ideal white floral – jasmine, ylang ylang and tuberose – with vertiginous light and beauty. A slight Parisian detour from Rue du Cambon to Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, and Twilly D’Hermès enters the perfume parade wrapped in a colourful, silken tie – expertly knotted like a scarf around her neck. A playful transposition, she turns the classicism of Hermès on its head, a joyfully discordant accord of ginger, tuberose and sandalwood, which elicits a touch of folly, spice and sunlight for this new Hermès girl. Whilst across the Ligurian Sea, Alessandro Michele’s first fragrance for Gucci blooms magnificently amongst the Sicilian lemon and Amalfi oranges. Clear in his musing, Bloom is a floral whirlwind of tuberose absolute, jasmine absolute, jasmine bud extract – a floriated masterstroke from fashion’s present master.

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Credit: Philip Le Masurier

The New Nose
For the niche noses, it’s all about new beginnings and making your mark. Disrupting the synthetic status quo of fragrance is small-batch perfume, Ellis Brooklyn, who is Phthalates-free, paraben-free, cruelty-free, and – most importantly – utterly lush, juiced from the same perfumer behind Byredo (an expert nose, indeed). Then there’s Cire Trudon, who, having cultivated candles since the French Revolution, know their wick, but fragrance is a whole new game. Olim, a star debutant, beats a brave new heart – pink peppercorn and clove to be exact, and is rounded out with top notes of lavender, bergamot and anise. Through esoteric scent and jewelled flacons, Diana Vreeland Parfums embody all that Mrs. Vreeland was: theatrical, bold, sharp, droll, and most significantly, colourful and eloquent. An unerring romance with words and colour play out in Wildly Attractive, slightly hallucinogenic and very hypnotic, orange blossom and petit-gran open to a well-squeezed burst of mandarin. Composing a brand new tempo to sing – or sniff – along to, they may be novel, but they know their juice. They are a nosy bunch, after all.

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Credit: Philip Le Masurier
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SHOP THE NOSY BUNCH
Gucci Bloom 100ml eau de parfum, $182. shop now
Gabrielle Chanel eau de parfum spray 100ml, $248. shop now
Twilly D’Hermès, $185. Shop now
Ellis Brooklyn Rrose eau de parfum 50ml, $146. shop now
Diana Vreeland Parfums Wildly Attractive 50ml, $266. shop now
Trudon Olim 100ml, $299. shop now

Credits:
Photography: Philip Le Masurier
Art Direction: Patti Andrews
Styling: Chrisanthi Kaliviotis and Patti Andrews